"Mercosur and the European Union have undertaken with a strategic vision this negotiation for an economic and trade association agreement, because we share values, principles and goals," Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie stated today at the Palacio San Martín, joined by Jyrki Katainen, the Vicepresident of the European Commission (EC), who is visiting Argentina.
In a room full of businesspeople, ambassadors, and officials, Faurie stated that "Europe and Latin America share a common destiny. Argentina is particularly tied to Europe through common historical bonds, so we see the European Union as a natural counterpart in this trade integration process."
"The international scenario is being redefined. Traditional schemes are brought into question and the technological revolution has an impact on society, labour, and production. In view of this, some want to build walls to be isolated, in the belief that they are protecting themselves, but Argentina can tell them that we have done that and it does not pay off. It only creates economic imbalances, greater poverty and backwardness," Faurie highlighted.
"This agreement will be key to creating jobs, and it has the potential for increasing European direct investment, increasing our exports, internationalizing our SMEs, lifting phytosanitary barriers and increasing our participation in value chains," Faurie explained. "But it is not just about trade, investment and jobs: this is also valuable from the point of view of politics, for strengthening institutions," he continued.
The Argentine Foreign Minister remarked that owing to those potential benefits, Argentina, upon taking over the Mercosur Presidency Pro Tempore, "boosted the goal of resuming negotiations between our blocs. In this context of huge changes, Mercosur countries are together in believing that it is positive to have this kind of agreements, which foster open, predictable and rules-based trade."
Finally, the Foreign Minister underscored that: "Argentina wants to open up to the world through a smart insertion process in search of new markets, to grow and innovate, to be more productive and competitive, to offer stability and a sense of future, and all of this will help fulfil the commitment undertaken by all Argentines and the administration of President Macri: to defeat poverty."
For his part, Katainen regarded Mercosur and the EU as "natural partners." "We share the same values: democracy, the rule of law, multilateralism and human rights," he stated. The European official held that the EU believes in trade openness based on rules, because "it is in the very DNA of the EU."
"Argentina has been the anchor in the boost to the negotiations between our blocs. We are not here to convince you of anything. Now, in the last stage -which is the most difficult- we need strong support from stakeholders," he stated.
"We have a golden opportunity. Our economies are already closely integrated. We are Mercosur's biggest trading partner and investor, but this agreement will give rise to a more effective complementarity, and a more predictable business environment with legal certainty. The medium-term and long-term gains are huge. We are close to achieving this," concluded Katainen.
Press release No. 510/17
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